Quartz is the second most abundant mineral in the Earth's crust and is one of the hardest naturally occurring materials. One application is in the formation of “engineered stone”, a composite material made of particulate material such as stone, quartz, glass, shells or silicon mixed with polymer resins, dyes, binders, etc. or any combination of such. The particulate material(s) and polymer resins, binders, colorants, dyes, etc. may be poured into a supporting mold, tray or other supporting structure. The mold or tray containing the mixture is then moved into a vacuum press machine to compress the material. The compressed material is then placed into a curing machine to be heated into a hardened quartz slab. After curing, the slab is generally moved to a grinder to be grinded down to a desired thickness, followed by a polisher to finish the product.
Engineered stone, including quartz, has become a common surfacing and countertop choice throughout the world. Applications include kitchen and bath countertops, tables and desktops, floor tile, food service areas, wall cladding, and various other horizontal and vertical applications. Quartz based engineered stone has many advantages over natural stone such as marble and granite; it is harder, more durable and less water absorbent than natural stone, and is more resistant to staining, scratching, heat and chemicals. One main disadvantage to engineered stone is its lack of random color patterns and veining found in natural stone.